Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 196, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 August 1916 — CHAUTAUQUA NEXT YEAR DOUBTFUL [ARTICLE]

CHAUTAUQUA NEXT YEAR DOUBTFUL

Contract Wanted by Lincoln Company for Next Year Called Not Equitable. Following a meeting after the Chautauqua program Monday :ffteinoon between the guarantors and people interested in having a chautauqua again next year, held at the chuutau : qua tent, with the manager in charge representing the Lincoln bureau, it was decided not to ask for ticket pledges nor to sign up a contract for a Chautauqua the coming year—at least not at the present time. The contract asked for by the Lincoln management was not agreeable to the guarantors, as it called for more money than the contract for this year called for. We believe that the citizens of Jasper county in generi-.l would like to see a chautauqua in Rensselaer again next year, but we feel that these people that have supported the venture in past years should not be called upon to guarantee the Lincoln people the same money that they ha v e in the past, at least not until the quality of the program shows a sufficent improvement to warrant the paying of such money. We are not condemning the program of the past week, but feel that the chautauqua people received more money than they have a right to ask. Year after year a few local people have stood back of the guaranty and devoted considerable time and labor to make the enterprise a finanacial success, and the sentiment of many of the guarantors is that the contracts with the Chautauqua people have been too one sided. Heretofore the guarantors have been taking the entire risk of running into bad weather during the chautauqua week and other conditions that might at any time* come up, and it seems in fairness to the guarantors that the chautauqua company should take some of the risk. The contract that the Lincoln people wanted for the coming year was as follows: The regular guaranteed ticket sales of $950, and the local expenses and entertainment of the talent, amounting to about $l5O more The next $l5O above the guaranteed $950, goes to the local people to pay for entertainment' and local expenses of the talent. Gate receipts and sale of tickets aboue $l,lOO to 'be split 50-50. At the present time there is about $250 in the hands of the local treaswhich has been made in the past three years. There will be a deficit this year between $45 and SSO, and it is due to this fact that the guarantors were reluctant to sign a contract at this time for the coming year. The general sentiment among the people is that we should have a chautauqua each year, provided that reasonable terms can be reached with the chautauqua bureau, but the guarantors feel that they should not be called upon to carry the burden each year alone. And they are right too. The chautauqua people take no risk whatever. Their money is guaranteed before they come to the city. The city donates considerable to help make the chautauqua a success aside from the guaranteed which is also given, so it may readily be seen that the Lincoln people take no chance whatever of losing financially. We have talked to a great many business men during the chautauqua week which has just closed and the opinion of practically all of them is that the chautauqua bureau has all the better of the contract. It has been decided to maintain the local officers in office for the time being and to hold a meeting about December first, at which time the different chautauqua companies will be invited to submit a proposition for the coming year. This is the fourth time for the Lincoln company in Rensselaer and for the most part their programs have been very good. Some crticism has been made of some of this year’s numbers. We believe that the local committee is taking the right course in waiting utnil a later date to sign a contract for next year, and that if the same amount of money is guaranteed to the chautauqua company agreeing to come here that they should be asked to give a program in keeping with the money they receive.